


A King’s Dilemma

by Highkingeliot



Category: The Magicians (TV), The Magicians - Lev Grossman
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 05:52:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16469984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Highkingeliot/pseuds/Highkingeliot
Summary: While the others find ways to defeat The Beast, Eliot tries to find ways he can help while stuck in Fillory.





	A King’s Dilemma

**Author's Note:**

> For The Neitherlands Library Trick or Treat, a gift for @abracandelabrum on Tumblr

Dear Q,

It’s easier this way. For some reason talking about it face to face is just not something I can do. Here’s the deal....

The rest of the page remained blank for a good while. After about an hour the only thing to fill the empty space were marks from tears hitting the page. 

“Fuck it.” He crumpled up the paper and threw it in the trash. 

He slowly stood up and walked over to his bed. He stood there for a moment as a few stray tears made their way down his face. He slowly undressed, turned the lamp off and crawled into bed. 

He laid there staring at the ceiling and feeling the slight breeze his old fan produced from across the room. He thought about how he didn’t feel like he belonged here. He thought about what if he had died leaping into that fountain. More tears. 

“Damn it.” He cursed to himself. “I’m not a fucking king, I’m not anything. I’m not special, I’m not brave, I’m not regal. I’m a glorified grad student with a drinking problem.” He rolled into his side and faced the wall. 

There was a small beam of light that shone through the window. 

The door slowly creaked. 

“Eliot?”

“What?” He sighed.

“Can we talk?”

“Talk all you want.” 

He just laid there unaffected by anyone entering the room. 

“I wish I could do more so you didn’t feel so alone.” 

“It’s fine. I’m used to it.” 

“But here, you’re our king. You should be happy. We want to make you happy.” She smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. 

“I am happy. Thrilled.” He said without an inflection of emotion. 

“Eliot...”

“Look Fen. I’m not exactly the king you want. That stupid knife must have made a mistake.”

“The knife is divined by the Gods. It’s not a mistake, you’re destined to be our king.” She almost pleaded. 

“Quentin should be king, he’s dreamed of it his whole life. He’s the only one of us that even believes this place could be real.” 

“You were chosen for a reason.”

“Well, they got their lines crossed. Quentin would be so much better at this. He loves this place. I mean yeah it’s great and all but Quentin loves it more than I ever could.” 

“There’s a reason you’re king. Whatever reason the Gods had to choose you must be a good one. You are the king Fillory needs.”

“I’m not the king anyone needs.” He looked over at the crown on the table. 

“Why is it you don’t wear it unless you have to?”

“Cause I’m not a king.”

“You are. Maybe one day you’ll see it.” She slowly stood up and walked out of the room. She stopped in front of the table and gently ran her fingers over the ornate stones in the crown. “Whether you see it or not, Fillory needs you.” 

Eliot laid there not saying anything. He heard her slowly walk out of the room. 

He felt tears welling up in his eyes. 

Before he knew it he felt the warmth of the sun shining through the window. He must have drifted off without knowing. 

He heard a quiet knock on the door. 

“Eliot?” 

He felt his heart race, it sounded like Quentin but it couldn’t be, they went back to Earth. 

The door creaked as it slowly opened. 

“El?” 

Eliot rolled over and sat up. He saw Quentin standing there and he sprang out of bed and ran over to hug him. 

“Miss me?” Quentin joked as he hugged Eliot back. 

“You have no idea.” Eliot hugged him tighter. 

“We think we know how to defeat the Beast.” 

“Really? How?” 

“God level battle magic.” Quentin said slightly hesitating.

“Great. Where do we find it?”

“Well, we need to get...um.... something, from, like, a god.” Quentin ram his hand through his hair. 

“Great, you go get that and I’ll.... do... nothing... cause apparently that’s what a ‘king’ does.” Eliot snapped and sat back on the bed. 

“Yeah.... ummm... about that...” Quentin started. 

“What?”

“Well, we have.... something.... now, it’s just who...” he paused longer than normal.

“Who, what?”

“Drinks it?” Quentin squeaked as he held up a small bottle. 

“What... is...”

“Ummm... godly.... “

“Ok. Gross.” 

Eliot stopped and looked Quentin up and down.

“Don’t tell me you’re actually going to?”

“Someone has to.”

“Q.”

“El, let’s face it, someone needs to and we’ll it may be me that...”

“Ok. No.” Eliot felt squeamish.

“Somebody has to!” Alice butted in making her way into the room.

“Not it.” Margo quipped from the doorway. 

“Well, this has been a lovely morning call.” Eliot ran his hand through his hair. 

“We have to do something!” Alice walked over and stood next to Quentin. 

“So, they changed something each time, last time I did and we all... well, it didn’t end well.” Quentin said looking around the room. 

“So, What?” Margo added as she moved closer. 

“Alice, I think you should do it.”

“What? But Q you’re supposed to...”

“Yeah, but what if I’m not the one.” He interrupted. “You’re a more powerful magician and you should do it.” He handed her the small jar. 

“Are you...?” 

“Yeah, I’m sure.” 

She looked around the room before slowly uncorking the jar and hesitantly drank its contents. 

“Now what?”

“We get the spell and do this.” 

“El...”

“I know... back to Earth.” Eliot sighed as the others left the room. 

Before he could say anything the others were gone. 

Eliot got up and walked to the other end of the castle. 

“Fen!! Fen!”

“Eliot?”

“Fen, good, you’re here.” He sighed. 

“Of course I’m here, my king. What do you need?”

“Battle magic.”

“What?”

“My friends, they think they can help but we need to fight.” 

“Eliot...” she stood up and faced him. 

“Fen, please, it’s important.”

“Eliot, not many know battle magic and if they do they don’t teach it.”

“But if I ask, they have to, right?”

“Well, yes, but...”

“Great.” He interrupted. “Now, who knows?”

“Eliot.”

He turned to face her and saw she was almost in tears practically begging him not to do it. 

“Please, Fen, they’ve gone back to Earth to learn what they can, I can’t just sit by doing nothing while my friends risk their lives.” 

“Ok. I know of one.” She resigned and led him down the hall and outside. 

They walked for a while before reaching a small stone cottage. 

“Inside, he knows of the old spells and can teach you.” She pointed towards the door.

“Great.” Eliot took a few steps forward. 

“Eliot?”

“Yeah?”

“Please, be careful.” She stood there and tried to be brave like she knew she should but she was afraid. 

He shyly smiled at her and walked over to her and hugged her. 

“I will.” He let her go and slowly made his way to the door. 

He knocked on the door. 

“What do you want?!” And old gruff voice called from the other side of the door. 

“I want you to answer the door.” Eliot called back.

“And who are you to tell me what to do?”

“I’m your king.” 

“Shit.” 

Eliot heard some crashing and stumbling before a clank and a sliding wood sound. 

The door slowly opened. 

“Why would our king visit me?” 

An older man stood before Eliot in shock. 

“I hear you know battle magic.” 

“Ummmm...” he hesitated. 

“Look, you’re not in trouble, well, we are, but .... ok long story, but I need your help. You have to teach me.” 

“Your majesty, I....”

“Please.” Eliot practically begged. 

“It’s dangerous.”

“I know, but my friends are off learning all they can and I can’t stand by and do nothing. I have to help them.” 

“As you wish.” He opened the door and ushered Eliot inside. 

He showed Eliot all the books he had on various forms of magic and agreed to teach Eliot the strongest battle magic he knew. 

“Come back in the morning and we’ll start.” 

“Can we start now?”

The man looked at Eliot confused.

“Look, it’s nothing against you, I just...” Eliot paused and fought back tears. “... I don’t know how much time we have.” 

“Oh. Well, I guess we can start. First you need to control your emotions...” the man started. 

“Oh. Way ahead of you. One sec.” Eliot pulled out a small bottle and said an enchantment. 

The man watched as the small bottle filled with a glowing red liquid. 

“What the...”

“Emotions, bottled. What next?” Eliot put the bottle around his neck as the man led him out to the back yard. 

“Ok. First, meditation.” 

Eliot held his hand up. 

“Ok I respect your commitment and all but, this...” Eliot held up the small bottle. “...only lasts three hours and I don’t know how long we have till my friends get back and shit gets real, so let’s skip to the main event shall we?” 

“As you wish, sire.” 

The man sighed and flipped several pages forward in his old, tattered book. 

“Ok, there’s these hand motions...”

“Gotcha.” Eliot peered over his shoulder looking at the illustrations. 

They went through the motions and the man shot a blast towards a tree, knocking it over. Eliot didn’t fire anything and instead fell backwards. 

“Your majesty!!” He ran back to help Eliot up. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, fine, show me again.” 

The two worked time after time until Eliot successfully fired the spell correctly. 

He sat down on a nearby stump. 

“Your highness, it’s been three and a half hours.” He said looking at the small bottle around Eliot’s neck. 

“Oh. Right.” He sighed and drank the liquid. 

He coughed a few times and fell to his knees. 

“Uh..”

“I’m fine. Really.” 

Eliot slowly stood up. 

“Thank you for your help. I’m going to go now.” 

“Here. Take this, to review.” He handed Eliot the book. 

“Thanks.” Eliot smirked and headed off towards the castle. 

Eliot went in and went to bed. He found Fen asleep in his bed. 

“Eliot?” 

“Hey Fen.” He was too tired to think and curled up with Fen and fell asleep. 

The next morning Eliot was awoken by a loud crash outside. 

He got up and walked down the hall to find his friends in the dining area eating. 

“Hey, Eliot long time no see.” 

“Hey Margo.”

“El, we got the spell.” Quentin was practically jumping up and down. 

“Great Q.” 

“El, what’s going on?” 

“Well Margo, while you all were off learning all your tricks I was stuck here, helpless. Don’t worry, I still managed to help.” 

“Great, did you take out the Beast without us?” 

“No. It’s a team thing we all have to help.” Alice chimed in. “What did you learn Eliot?” 

“This.” 

He followed what the man had taught him the day before and knocked over a book shelf. 

“Great. That will distract him while I fire off what we got.” Alice smiled, well smirked the awkward way Alice does. 

Eliot couldn’t help but look a little disappointed. 

“El, it’s great!” Quentin tried to help. 

“No, Q, she’s right. It’s nothing better than a distraction. I was crazy to think I could do anything to help defeat...” Eliot trailed off. 

“Eliot. It will help. Alice has to power up for this thing. We need that.” Quentin tried to comfort Eliot. 

“It’s fine Q.” Eliot sighed and started to walk off when Fen walked up to him in the hall. 

“Eliot? What’s wrong?” 

“Long story.” He sighed. 

“Eliot!” He turned to see Margo running down the hall.

“What?”

“It’s Quentin.” 

Words everyone knows would get Eliot’s attention. 

The two ran back down the hall to find Quentin on his back in the middle of the floor.

“Q?” Eliot walked over and knelt down next to Quentin. 

He slowly brushed some hair out of Quentin’s face. 

“El?”

“Yeah, it me Q.” He smiled down at Quentin the best he could. 

“Please, you have to help us.” He basically pleaded. 

“Ok, since you went to such dramatics.” He smirked. 

“Great, now we have the whole team. Let’s do this before my god juice runs out.” Alice snapped. 

“Ok, let’s go. Just like we agreed.” Margo rallied the group and they all headed towards the clearing just past the woods.


End file.
